Man Hands Girlfriend Favorite Novel and Says 'Turn to Page 136' — Inside Was a Proposal that Left Her 'Sobbing' (Exclusive)

• Ella McGivern and Christian Keenan got engaged on Feb. 20 in Banff, Canada

• Keenan proposed with a quote from McGivern's favorite book, Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

• "I was in complete shock, I did not think for one second that this was going to happen," McGivern tells PEOPLE

A man popped the question using his girlfriend's favorite book quote.

Early into their relationship, Ella McGivern, 23, joked to Christian Keenan, 25, that he would need to read her favorite books before they got engaged. Remembering this and wanting to propose to his girlfriend of nearly four years, Keenan began reading her favorite novel, Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, in December 2024.

He eventually reached a portion of the fantasy book that seemed to echo his feelings toward McGivern, so he highlighted the lines in pink with plans to use it in his proposal.

"He somehow found my favorite quote in my favorite book," McGivern tells PEOPLE.

"Many boys will bring you flowers. But someday you'll meet a boy who will learn your favorite flower, your favorite song, your favorite sweet," the Six of Crows quote reads. "And even if he is too poor to give you any of them, it won't matter because he will have taken the time to know you as no one else does. Only that boy earns your heart."

McGivern "wasn’t suspicious" of a proposal because she and Keenan had planned a trip to Banff, Canada, as a late Valentine's Day getaway. But behind the Fairmont Banff Springs on Feb. 20, Keenan surprised McGivern with "the most beautiful moment of [her] entire life."

After a romantic dinner together, Keenan took McGivern on a walk to look at the stars. It was a full circle moment because the pair went on an eight-hour walk for their first date.

"The stars were shining in the sky by the handful and the mountains were surrounding us," McGivern recalls. "The Banff Springs also had lights up everywhere, wrapping around the trees and placing us in the middle of a winter wonderland. There was not a soul in sight."

Suddenly, Keenan pulled McGivern off trail.

"I was so confused and asked where we were going, but he just grabbed my hands and placed Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo in my hands. He told me to open page 136 and read it to him," McGivern says. "This is when I thought something might be happening, so I tried to stay calm and I shockingly flipped to the page."

McGivern saw her highlighted "favorite quote of all time." As she began reading it out loud, "tears started to pour down" her face. Written beside the quote was a heart and a single question: "Marry Me?"

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"When I put the book down, he was on one knee, holding out the most beautiful ring in the world. I was in complete shock, I did not think for one second that this was going to happen today and I was shaking with all the emotions," McGivern says. "My brain wasn’t even working as he started to ask the question, but I dove down and hugged him before he even got a word out. I was shocked, sobbing and saying 'yes' a million times as I held him."

She continues: "He was laughing so hard but pulled us both up and kissed me the way every girl wants to be kissed. Then I proceeded to stop every couple seconds as we walked back to the car, I would sob uncontrollably and exclaim, 'I can’t believe I am engaged to my best friend.' "

The book quote is especially meaningful to McGivern because it is representative of what Keenan means to her.

"We are both students and are working really hard for a future together, but we can’t give each other all these nice things yet. But, he knows me like no other person on the planet does," she says. "He has learned every single detail about me and constantly uses it to tell me how much he loves me. He takes the time to memorize little things and then surprises me with them later. Christian says a lot of words but they are always followed by actions, and I truly could never ask for more than that."

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McGivern has read the Six of Crows series 10 times in the past six years and credits much of her literary passion to it. Bought by her late grandmother, it was one of the first books added to her book collection. The bride-to-be currently runs two book-dedicated social media accounts and is writing her debut novel, Ski You Later, which releases later this year.

"Whenever I really start to doubt myself, he is right there, reminding me that I can do anything I set my mind to," McGivern says of Keenan, who is currently in his PhD of Space Physics. " He means everything to me, and he is truly the boy that has earned my heart."

Read the original article on People